


Synonyms For Spirit

by Sylvi



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Blood and Violence, Dissociation, F/M, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Infidelity, Major Original Character(s), Mild Sexual Content, Minor Original Character(s), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slice of Life, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-11 20:46:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18431774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylvi/pseuds/Sylvi
Summary: Scout Hayes as made more mistakes than she can count, but falling for Sebastian may just be her most prolific miscalculation yet.





	1. Chapter 1

Time had stopped for Scout Hayes as she watched the rain on the water. Her blood had frozen to biting ice in her veins, yet something was keeping her rooted to the spot; still as a statue. She couldn't quite remember if she had forgotten her umbrella and windbreaker, or if she had merely elected for some unknown reason to leave them behind. Scout's memory had defected more than usual on that particular April morning.

_ Was it even raining when I left? How long have I been OUT here? _

Reasons didn't matter. The rain pelted against her raw skin, but she couldn't feel it. She had lost herself in the white noise of the late-spring storm; washed astray amidst the sweet hymns of irreplicable spring vibrancy. The world had skimmed away in the wake of the storm as it unleashed its steady deluge on the valley. There was a certain melody to the chaos, a discordant cacophony that was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. Scout took a step closer to the edge of the dock, transfixed.

"HEY!"

Scout was bolted back to the present, torn from her mesmeric trance at the sound of the voice. Her breath hitched as she swiveled on her heel to face the voice.

The soles of her sandals slipped against the slick wood, the worn-down rubber losing purchase on the slick jetty. Scout parted her lips in a silent shriek, and she braced herself for a lungful of seawater.

One second she was tumbling down towards the writhing sea, and the next, an iron grip locking down on her shoulders and yanking her forwards. Her nose collided with the man's sternum as the stranger's arms wrapped around her, drawing her away from the edge.

For one silent moment, she froze. She was helpless, his embrace around her was too strong. No. No. No. No.

All at once, she couldn't breathe. She couldn't think or move or process any of it, things were happening too fast and she was entirely overwhelmed.

Her heart was palpitating in her chest, stuttering a million miles per hour. Not this time, no. She would get away this time. She wouldn't let this happen again. She had to flee. A singular coherent thought pierced through her adrenaline-fueled terror:  _ Not again. _

She tried to scream, but her breath only came out in a sharp and ragged gasp. She thrashed in the arms of the stranger, striking him and kicking wildly. He wasn't letting go. He was moving, lowering her to the creaky boards of the dock. The man was saying something, but Scout wasn't sure what. The blood pounding in her ears drowned out all other noise.

When at last he released his grip on her, she continued to recoil away from him and fight against arms that were no longer wrapped around her, desperate and feral.

After a few seconds, she ceased. Trembling uncontrollably, she stared up at the stranger with her frantic jade eyes, clouded and glazed and unseeing. And then she blinked.

And blinked again, processing. The man took a tentative step away from her, raising his hands to indicate he meant no harm. She drew away from him, but the senseless panic was seeming to seep from her expression, and the rapid gasps wracking her fragile frame began to slow.

The man's jaw moved, but no words came. He just stared at her, soundlessly, with dark eyes wide and shocked.

"I am... SO sorry..." He began, but Scout interjected suddenly.

"I... It's f-fine."

She felt a flush rise in her cheeks, burning to the tips of her ears. A burning coil of shame wound through her, and she dug her blue-tinged fingernails into her palm as she swallowed back her mortification.

"I... I... Did I hit you?" She managed, her voice small and weak. "I'm... I didn't... I am so, so sorry..."

The man shook his head, flashing her a weak smile. He looked incredibly disheveled, but was otherwise unharmed. In that breathless moment, Scout would’ve given anything in the world to be able to melt into the ground and disappear. Not only had she  _ attacked  _ this stranger, but as her eyes focused on his face, she realized he was incredibly attractive. 

He had midnight black hair, styled in a spiky alt-rock coiffure. He was slender, skinny even-- but his frame was somehow powerful too. 

"I'm alright. You didn't get me, it's okay. I'm the one who should apologize." He cleared his throat. "I didn't mean to startle you.” He paused, as if waiting for her to speak. “Are you... Alright?" He spoke in a low, almost-standoffish voice that certainly didn’t betray his appearance.

"It's fine." She said again, this time a bit more brusquely as she cast her gaze away from the man's face. To her own dismay, tears had sprung to her eyes and her vision swam. She hoped that if any spilled, they would be indistinguishable from the beads of rain already trickling down her face.

There was a pregnant pause as the two avoided one another's gaze. Scout sensed the tension between them; she could practically feel the man's thoughts burrowing deeply into her skin. He was probably questioning her sanity...Wondering why she had reacted so violently to his touch. Oh, her face felt hot with shame.  _ Please, don't ask me why. Please. _

"I'm... I'm glad you are okay. You could've gotten hypothermia had you fallen in... Really, you could still get hypothermia from this rain alone. Your lips are blue." Concern crossed his handsome features as he furrowed his brow. "How long were you out here before...?"

A thousand different answers and excuses bubbled up in Scout's throat, but her lips couldn't form the words. A tiny squeak left her, but nothing more.

He shrugged his sweatshirt off and took a step forward towards Scout. She didn't flinch away, but regarded him with weariness as he approached her. "Here." He draped the coat over her shoulders, moving carefully so as not to accidentally touch her or frighten her again. "Let's... You live nearby, right? Can I walk you home?" He spoke quickly, the words tumbling from his lips. Scout lifted her chin slowly, appraising him carefully. There was no malice in his eyes, only concern. The shadow of a questioning smile slid across his features. 

Scout nodded, glancing back down at his coat and tugging it tighter around her trembling shoulders. It smelled like laundry soap and... Cigarette smoke? Some sort of spice was mixed in there, too.

"I'm Sebastian, by the way." The man had to raise his voice to be heard above the now-howling wind.

"I'm S-Scout." She stuttered, her teeth rattling slightly.

He beamed at her. "Like Team Fortress 2? I like it."

  
  



	2. Mr. Blue Sky

Time had stopped for Scout Hayes as she watched the rain on the water. Her blood had frozen to biting ice in her veins, yet something was keeping her rooted to the spot; still as a statue. She couldn't quite remember if she had forgotten her umbrella and windbreaker, or if she had merely elected for some unknown reason to leave them behind. Scout's memory had defected more than usual on that particular April morning.

_ Was it even raining when I left? How long have I been OUT here? _

Reasons didn't matter. The rain pelted against her raw skin, but she couldn't feel it. She had lost herself in the white noise of the late-spring storm; washed astray amidst the sweet hymns of irreplicable spring vibrancy. The world had skimmed away in the wake of the storm as it unleashed its steady deluge on the valley. There was a certain melody to the chaos, a discordant cacophony that was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. Scout took a step closer to the edge of the dock, transfixed.

"HEY!"

Scout was bolted back to the present, torn from her mesmeric trance at the sound of the voice. Her breath hitched as she swiveled on her heel to face the voice.

The soles of her sandals slipped against the slick wood, the worn-down rubber losing purchase on the slick jetty. Scout parted her lips in a silent shriek, and she braced herself for a lungful of seawater.

One second she was tumbling down towards the writhing sea, and the next, an iron grip locking down on her shoulders and yanking her forwards. Her nose collided with the man's sternum as the stranger's arms wrapped around her, drawing her away from the edge.

For one silent moment, she froze. She was helpless, his embrace around her was too strong. No. No. No. No.

All at once, she couldn't breathe. She couldn't think or move or process any of it, things were happening too fast and she was entirely overwhelmed.

Her heart was palpitating in her chest, stuttering a million miles per hour. Not this time, no. She would get away this time. She wouldn't let this happen again. She had to flee. A singular coherent thought pierced through her adrenaline-fueled terror:  _ Not again. _

She tried to scream, but her breath only came out in a sharp and ragged gasp. She thrashed in the arms of the stranger, striking him and kicking wildly. He wasn't letting go. He was moving, lowering her to the creaky boards of the dock. The man was saying something, but Scout wasn't sure what. The blood pounding in her ears drowned out all other noise.

When at last he released his grip on her, she continued to recoil away from him and fight against arms that were no longer wrapped around her, desperate and feral.

After a few seconds, she ceased. Trembling uncontrollably, she stared up at the stranger with her frantic jade eyes, clouded and glazed and unseeing. And then she blinked.

And blinked again, processing. The man took a tentative step away from her, raising his hands to indicate he meant no harm. She drew away from him, but the senseless panic was seeming to seep from her expression, and the rapid gasps wracking her fragile frame began to slow.

The man's jaw moved, but no words came. He just stared at her, soundlessly, with dark eyes wide and shocked.

"I am... SO sorry..." He began, but Scout interjected suddenly.

"I... It's f-fine."

She felt a flush rise in her cheeks, burning to the tips of her ears. A burning coil of shame wound through her, and she dug her blue-tinged fingernails into her palm as she swallowed back her mortification.

"I... I... Did I hit you?" She managed, her voice small and weak. "I'm... I didn't... I am so, so sorry..."

The man shook his head, flashing her a weak smile. He looked incredibly disheveled, but was otherwise unharmed. In that breathless moment, Scout would’ve given anything in the world to be able to melt into the ground and disappear. Not only had she  _ attacked  _ this stranger, but as her eyes focused on his face, she realized he was incredibly attractive. 

He had midnight black hair, styled in a spiky alt-rock coiffure. He was slender, skinny even-- but his frame was somehow powerful too. 

"I'm alright. You didn't get me, it's okay. I'm the one who should apologize." He cleared his throat. "I didn't mean to startle you.” He paused, as if waiting for her to speak. “Are you... Alright?" He spoke in a low, almost-standoffish voice that certainly didn’t betray his appearance.

"It's fine." She said again, this time a bit more brusquely as she cast her gaze away from the man's face. To her own dismay, tears had sprung to her eyes and her vision swam. She hoped that if any spilled, they would be indistinguishable from the beads of rain already trickling down her face.

There was a pregnant pause as the two avoided one another's gaze. Scout sensed the tension between them; she could practically feel the man's thoughts burrowing deeply into her skin. He was probably questioning her sanity...Wondering why she had reacted so violently to his touch. Oh, her face felt hot with shame.  _ Please, don't ask me why. Please. _

"I'm... I'm glad you are okay. You could've gotten hypothermia had you fallen in... Really, you could still get hypothermia from this rain alone. Your lips are blue." Concern crossed his handsome features as he furrowed his brow. "How long were you out here before...?"

A thousand different answers and excuses bubbled up in Scout's throat, but her lips couldn't form the words. A tiny squeak left her, but nothing more.

He shrugged his sweatshirt off and took a step forward towards Scout. She didn't flinch away, but regarded him with weariness as he approached her. "Here." He draped the coat over her shoulders, moving carefully so as not to accidentally touch her or frighten her again. "Let's... You live nearby, right? Can I walk you home?" He spoke quickly, the words tumbling from his lips. Scout lifted her chin slowly, appraising him carefully. There was no malice in his eyes, only concern. The shadow of a questioning smile slid across his features. 

Scout nodded, glancing back down at his coat and tugging it tighter around her trembling shoulders. It smelled like laundry soap and... Cigarette smoke? Some sort of spice was mixed in there, too.

"I'm Sebastian, by the way." The man had to raise his voice to be heard above the now-howling wind.

"I'm S-Scout." She stuttered, her teeth rattling slightly.

He beamed at her. "Like Team Fortress 2? I like it."

"You just moved here recently, didn't you? I haven't seen you around before."

Scout blinked up at Sebastian, her eyes still hazy and unfocused. Was he really going to just pretend that nothing had happened? Pretend that she hadn't just been kicking and clawing like a rabid animal? Anxiety pinched at her as she tried to decipher Sebastian's unreadable expression.

"Um, yes. I moved in a few weeks ago." She admitted, nibbling at her bottom lip. Sebastian cast his gaze back down at her again, appraising her wordlessly. The two lapsed into a lukewarm silence as Sebastian seemed to mull over the information, calculating his next question carefully. Great. She had only known Sebastian for an hour and already he was walking on eggshells around her, just like every other person on the goddamn planet.

"Huh. Interesting, why'd you choose to move here, of all places?" He inquired. There was a certain lilt to his voice that Sasha didn’t like, an almost accusatory tone behind his words. His question was perfectly reasonable, considering the relative rurality of Stardew Valley. There weren't any major areas of commerce or tourist attractions in the area, it was just a quiet seaside village, yet she couldn’t help but feel as if her answer would somehow seal her fate with this man. 

"Ah." Scout cleared her throat in an attempt to siphon a stronger voice. "I just... My grandfather had a place out here. He passed away recently, and I figured I would come out here to renovate it and sell it. But... I just kind of..." She inhaled sharply. "I don't know. I needed... A fresh start, I guess. So I decided to sell my place back in the city and move here myself."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Sebastian spoke quietly, his voice low and thoughtful. Scout looked away, suddenly feeling inexplicably embarrassed.

"It's okay. I didn't know him very well, my grandfather." To her own ears, her voice sounded maladroit and graceless. She winced, trying to think of something better to say. "Yeah, we weren't close."  _ Like that's any better. _

Perhaps sensing her discomfort, Sebastian opted to change the subject. "May I ask why you were out there in this weather?" He probed, his voice cautious.  _ Fuck. FUCK. _ Scout felt her mouth suddenly go dry, her heartrate kicking up a notch.

"Um, I..." She mumbled. "I... I don't know... I kind of just... Went outside and... Ended up there." She sputtered, cringing again to herself. She sounded completely and utterly insane. It was a small miracle that Sebastian hadn't ditched her yet.

“I see." A wealth of different emotions flashed in his eyes, but none of them were particularly legible to Scout.  _ He thinks you are crazy. He is afraid of you. He thinks you are dangerous, and he's right.  _

"The bay is nice." He remarked plainly. Scout turned her chin up, gazing at him with wide eyes as he spoke. "Especially in the springtime. There’s this jellyfish festival in the summer, too..."

"Oh?" Scout asked, sighing out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. The line of conversation had been fringing on dangerous territory for Scout. She had a sneaking suspicion that her little outing to the docks had been a byproduct of a dissociative episode, as most of her inexplicable behaviors typically were. The dissociation conversation was an exhausting endeavor, and she wasn't prepared to explain it to Sebastian after all that had happened. Of course, if she told him about her dissociative amnesia she would probably end up divulging details about the abuse that prompted her condition. She was definitely not ready to talk about that with Sebastian.

He launched into a fresh spiel about the summer festival, but Scout was only half-listening. She wasn't much a fan of social gatherings, and highly doubted that she would attend the event. Still, she tried to make an effort to interject a few noises of interest every so often. He seemed genuinely passionate about the celebration.

The two stumbled through some more nebulous small-talk as they made their way through a thicket of woods and across a little trundle bridge, stretched over a roaring river. By the time they reached Scout's cottage, the gunfire rain had waned to a gentle drizzle; misting the valley and sweetening the air with the perfume of fresh spring blossoms. Darkness was gathering on the horizon, inking the pewter sky. The descending twilight brought with it the emergence of a few speckled stars and a waxing moon; half-obscured by the canopy of clouds.

"I... This is my place." Scout gestured towards her cabin sheepishly. Her tiny Cape-Cod style house was small in contrast to the neo-eclectic megastructures she was accustomed to from her life in the city, but she thought it was charming. The little place was irrevocably less opulent than the other properties in Stardew Valley, but the view of the ocean made up for what her cabin lacked in luxury.

Sebastian blinked, something melancholy flickering behind his grey eyes. He cleared his throat, humming as he glanced up the driveway. "It's nice." He commented offhandedly. Scout nodded, shivering slightly. His jacket had kept her dry for the most part, but her sundress was still soaking and cold against her body.

"I... I suppose I will see you around, then?"

Scout allowed her gaze to wander up to his. His face was hopeful; excited.

There was a brief flutter in her stomach, warming her face. "I would love that." She murmured ambivalently.

"Great! Hey...I uh, well, on the weekends I usually go down to the saloon. Would you...Wanna join me tomorrow night?" He asked, his voice breaking slightly.

Scout felt her mind momentarily idle as she gazed up at him, her eyes just a fraction too wide. He wanted to hang out with her? After everything, he still wanted to see her again? He wanted to see her TOMORROW?

She blinked, inhaling sharply as she tried to collect her fragmented thoughts.

Her first instinct was to decline, as it typically was in the face of social invitations. Yet…

"That would be lovely."

A smile broke across his face, a grin so sunny and warm that it sent another wave of butterflies through Scout's body.

"Okay! You know where the saloon is, then?" He asked. "Down main street. How does six sound?"

"Perfect... I'll be there!" Scout chimed breathlessly, chewing on her lower lip.

"Good night, Scout."

Sebastian turned and disappeared into the curtain of fog with a little wave. Scout reciprocated the little gesture, eyes still wide and heart still fluttering.

"Bon-bon!" Scout clicked her tongue, crouching down to greet the tabby. Bonnie trotted out from the shadows, chirping a little meow of hello. "Are you hungry, girl?" Scout asked the cat. Bonnie blinked at her in affirmation.

"Alright." Scout rose, rifling through her cabinets for the bag of cat food. The loud crinkling of plastic always delighted Bonnie, who made a beeline for her food bowl.

" _ Bon _ appetit. Get it?" Scout giggled, pouring the kibble into Bonnie's bowl. Before Scout could finish pouring the serving of food, Bonnie had already begun to scarf down the kibbles.

Scout traipsed into her bedroom, peeling Sebastian's jacket off before doing a double take.

_ SHIT. I forgot to give it back to him!  _ She slapped a hand to her head. _ Dumbass! You are STUPID! _

Sighing, she folded the jacket and tucked it into her bookbag. She would give it back to him tomorrow, when she met him at the saloon.

She stripped the sodden sundress from her body, casting it into her laundry hamper. After sifting through her closet for a few moments, she decided on her warmest sweater and sweatpants, pulling them on before returning to the kitchen to make herself dinner.

_ That is, if you could call low-fat microwavable mashed potatoes 'dinner'. _

It was her only choice, though. Moving had been a hectic endeavor and she hadn't had time yet to properly go grocery shopping or to stock her pantry. So she settled for the mashed potatoes, discarding the box and popping the plastic tray of frozen potatoes into the microwave.

As she watched the dinner revolve around in her microwave, her mind wandered back to Sebastian. He had been so painfully sweet to her, even after she had practically tried to kill him in her blind panic. She wished that they could have met under some other circumstance; she didn't want him to think she was crazy.

The beep from the microwave startled her from her inattention, making her jump slightly. The potatoes had a slightly burned smell, but she didn't really mind. She was too hungry to care.

After dinner and a shower, Scout finally resolved to try to sleep. She checked each door and each window to ensure they were all properly locked, and then checked again. She brushed her teeth, changed into her pajamas, and then checked a third time.  _ Yup, still locked. _

The only real solace from her nightmares was consciousness, but she had to sleep if she didn't want to show up to the saloon looking as bad as she looked today. She plugged her little night light in, feeling only slightly silly before curling into her cocoon of blankets.

After a few minutes of staring at the ceiling, her eyes fluttered shut.  

  
  
  
  



	3. Hope Of Morning

It was naive of Scout to expect that she  _ wouldn’t  _ have nightmares, after all of the stresses the day had held for her. It struck in the early hours of the morning, before the sun had risen over the saturated valley. 

The dream was all too familiar. It was one in a small menu of night terrors that her mind had decided to log and relive in the hours she was intended to be resting. 

The world was dark. She was in the back seat of his car, and he was smoking a cigarette outside. When he opened the door, the car filled with its scent and she prayed he wouldn’t be angry with her for whatever inane reason he had decided to be angry at her about today. 

He was angry.

She had turned towards him, a hopeful smile on her features. His eyes were cold and hard as he moved, fast as a rattlesnake. He struck it from her lips, his hand smacking across her face in a deafening clap that seemed to ring in her ears. She had raised her hand to her cheek then, not entirely surprised. Tears sprung to her eyes.

He did it again. She tried to shield herself, but each time she raised her hands to her face, he would move his hits to another area of her body. He hit again, and again, and again. Until he finally delivered the final blow, a closed-fist to her jaw that snapped her neck to the side and slammed her temple into the seatbelt retractor. Waves of pain sent her into violent shakes.

She opened her mouth to cry out, to protest, but no words came. Rather than her cries of fear, a strange noise left her throat. Like a bell, ringing and chiming.

But it wasn’t her voice, and she wasn’t in the backseat of David Cambridge’s car. She was tangled amongst her sweat-soaked sheets, her phone’s alarm pealing from the bedside table. She groaned, her stomach churning greasily. Bile rose in her throat as the dream flashed behind her eyes in all of its vivid clarity. Scout sat up quickly, scrubbing her trembling hand across her watering eyes. Her pajamas were entirely soaked through, clinging to her body with sweat. Not without disgust, Scout stripped away her sweatshirt and shorts, tossing them onto the floor and limping towards the bathroom. She needed a shower, and she needed to get away from that dream. As she limped towards the shower she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, haggard and wasted. 

Her own haunted reflection gazed back, ringed with plum shadows that pooled beneath her eyes. The despondency in those dull green irises startled her for a single indignant moment. What had  _ happened  _ to her? She ran her hands through her the limp tangles of honey-blonde hair. A few strands fell across her forehead and on her cheeks; framing her pale, drawn face. She sighed, turning away from her own image and instead turned the shower on and discarded her pajamas on the floor. 

The water was blissfully burning against her skin, washing away the salt and sweat and tears of the night down the drain. She stared at her own feet for a few moments, allowing the steam to overtake her lungs as it filled the small bathroom. The water wasn’t just hot, it was blistering. Scout didn’t care, the pain seemed to be waking her up at least.

She reached for her bottle of shampoo, squeezing a dollop of the flower-scented product into her palm and scrubbing it into her hair. 

After  _ it  _ happened, Scout took lots of long showers. She would scrub her skin so roughly that it sloughed away and left angry scratches in places, but she didn’t feel it. It stemmed from a desire to wash away David’s touch and David’s marks from her skin permanently. Of course, it didn’t exactly work like that, but some deeply ingrained urge within her had commanded her. It was a voice that hadn’t existed before David, a voice that only seemed to make itself known in her mind after the incident. 

Pushing the thoughts of the past aside, she ran her hands through her hair again with a shaky sigh. As she showered she made a mental inventory of the food items in her kitchen. There weren’t quite enough ingredients in the fridge to scourge up a proper breakfast, she still had to go grocery shopping. Her stomach grumbled, as if in response to the fact. 

After another forty minutes, she forced herself to step out of the shower and dry off. She wrapped her hair in a towel before wrapping another around her body and padding into her closet. Rummaging through the few clothes on their hangers, she finally decided on an oversized maroon sweater and a plaid skirt. She pulled on a pair of knee-high socks and brushed her hair before making her way into the kitchen, lingering for a moment by the window and letting the warm morning sun beam down on her pale face. 

The clouds and rain of the day previous had moved inland, Scout supposed, because the sky now was a pure and crystal blue. Not a single cloud smudged the pure cerulean canopy above the valley. Perfect weather for a leisurely walk into town to pick up some groceries, she mused.  The errand wasn’t particularly appealing, but given the beauty of the morning and the prospect of enjoying the mild weather, she wasn’t entirely dreading it either.

Gathering her purse and wallet, Scout checked the clock on her phone to verify that she would have enough time to shop for groceries and still finish the work she had allotted for the day. Her schedule wasn’t too vigorous, but in consideration of the fact that she was going out that night to see Sebastian, she wasn’t afraid to double-check her time constraints. She set out, locking the door behind her. 

Her steps fell into an even pace as she began her trek up the road. Birdsong and the gentle whisper of pine trees filled the morning air with their melody, and somewhere further off, a sighing tide lapped against the shore. It was perfectly idyllic; an oasis compared to the frenetic city-life that Scout had left behind. The breeze was sweet, fragrant with the scent of wild jasmine. A moment of childish joy stole over her as she made her way down the road. She was finally free, no longer bound to university or her dead-end job. This place was her fresh start; a blank slate where she could truly begin again. She could succeed here, create a life in this quaint little village. As she made her way through the thicket of woods and beyond the trundle bridge en route to the bus stop, she couldn’t help but relish in her newfound optimism. In the warm light of dawn, Scout held no premonition of just how soon it would crumble. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Reposting this!!! :O


End file.
